Floral roping machine



Oct. 25, 1960 w. RAPAPORT 2,957,263

FLORAL ROPING MACHINE Filed Jan. 29, 1959 INVENTOR. WILLIAM RAPAPORTATTORNEYj United States Patent FLORAL ROPING MACHINE William Rapaport,8107 Sorrento, Detroit 28, Mich.

Filed Jan. 29, 1959, Ser. No. 789,861

1 Claim. (C1. 41-3) This invention relates to a machine for bindingtogether foliage to form an elongated string of floral roping such as isused in festoons.

The present invention falls within a well-known class of machines inwhich a first string or wire is spirally wound along a second string orwire so as to entrap foliage between the two. The resulting productappears to be a continuous bough. On closer inspection it is found toinclude one wire or string which runs axially along the length of theroping; a plurality of boughs placed end to end with their centralbranchm adjacent to the longitudinal Wire; and another wire whichspirals about the boughs and the longitudinal wire joining themtogether.

Machines of this type include a support for the wire or string which isto form the longitudinal member and means for drawing it through acentral aperture in a rotatable ring which carries one or more spools ofwire. The ring is adapted to rotate about the axis of the longitudinalstring. The ring must be powered by a source such as an electric motorfor a slow rotation. The longitudinal string must be moved through thecentral aperture of the ring in a generally timed relation to thatrotation. The motion of the longitudinal string may be powered orobtained manually.

An operator first affixes the end of the wire which is supported on thering to the longitudinal string. Then, as the string is fed through andthe ring is rotated he inserts foliage such as evergreen boughs betweenthe string and the wire so that they are captured as the rotation of thering causes the wire to spiral about the constantly feeding string.

In a common type of machine which was used previously to the presentinvention the rotatable ring which supported the spirally wound wireswas powered by a belt or chain which partially encircled the ring andwas energized by a pulley or cogwheel driven by the motor. In using sucha machine difiiculty was experienced because of the entanglement ofextending arms of the boughs with the ring driving means. The boughs orfoliage which are utilized in the machine are necessarily of anon-uniform nature. They may therefore easily become entangled with thebelt as it moves with respect to the ring. The present inventioncontemplates a method of suspending the ring and powering it andsupporting it with respect to the machine which eliminates the danger ofthe foliage entangling in the driving mechanism. Moreover, it provides aconvenient and efiicient supporting platform for the foliage as it isfed into the string and wire.

Generally speaking the present machine comprises two rectangular boardswhich are supported at right angles to one another. The horizontal boardforms the table of the machine and provides a convenient support for theboughs as they are fed into the machine. It contains an elongated slotthrough its center parallel to one of its sides. The vertical board issupported in this slot which provides clearance for the rotation of aring sup- 2,957,263 Patented Oct. 25, 1960 ported in a central aperturein the vertical board. The ring is rotatably supported within the boardby a series of support bearings which are aflixed to the boardexternally of the aperture and make contact with spaced points on theperimeter of the ring. A driving wheel makes contact with a point on theperimeter of the ring and frictionally engages it causing the ring torotate. This driving mechanism is supported below the horizontal board.

Other applications, advantages and objects of the present invention willbe made apparent by the following detailed description of an embodimentof the invention. The description makes reference to the accompanyingdrawing which is a perspective view of the machine of the preferredembodiment with portions cut away to increase the visibility of criticalareas.

The machine is supported by four corner legs 10 which terminate at theirupper ends in a horizontallysupported table 12. The table is rectangularin configuration and is divided into two sections by a slot 14 whichruns through the entire length of the table at its center and is boundedon its edges by two rails 16, which, together with two rails 18 whichrun along the opposite edges of the table, act as a supporting frame.

A second, lower table 20 is disposed parallel to the upper table 12 at apoint midway between the table 12 and the lower terminations of the legs10.

A vertical support member 22 which is generally rectangular in shape andmay be formed of a thin sheet of wood as may be the tables 18 and 20 isdisposed in the slot 14 at right angles to the tables 12 and 20. Thevertical support member 22 has two legs 24 which extend from its loweredge at opposite sides and rest on the upper surface of the table 20.

A circular ring 26 is rotatably supported on the vertical member 22 byfour support bearings 28 which are arranged at regular intervals aboutthe outer perimeter of the ring 26. The support bearings 28 arejournaled on pegs 30 which are aflixed on the face of the verticalmember 22. The outer perimeter of the support bearings are grooved toengage the perimeter of the ring 26.

The vertical member 22 has an aperture slightly larger than the hole 32in the ring 26. These holes are aligned so that a clear sight isprovided through the hole 32.

The ring 26 rotatably supports a wire reel 34 by means of a stud 36which is fixed in the face of the ring 26. Tensioning means (not shown)taking the form of wire springs, are placed between the face of the ring26 and the adjacent face of the spool from turning unless tension isplaced on its wire.

A plurality of holes 36 spaced at regular intervals in the face of thering 26 lower its total weight so to decrease its moment of inertia andmake it easier to start and stop.

The ring 26 is energized by an electric motor 38 which is supported onthe lower table 20. The electric motor has a rubber grooved pulley 40fixed on its shaft. The pulley 40 makes contact with the outer perimeterof the ring 26 and frictionally drives it.

An eyelet 42 is supported on the ring 26 at approximately degrees fromthe spool 34. The wire from the spool 34 passes through the eyelet 42before connecting to the longitudinally moved wire.

In operation the end of the wire on spool 34 is first placed through theeyelet 42 and then attached to one end of a wire or string 44. Thestring 44 is inserted through the hole 32 and the ring 26 and pulledthrough the hole 32 at a constant speed. It may be manually pulledthrough the hole or connected to a powered reel which will achieve themotion. At the same time the motor 38 is energized causing the spool 34to rotate in an orbit about the string 44. Boughs of cedar or evergreenare then held so that their forward edge is caught between the wire andthe string 44. They are then drawn through the hole 32 and the wire isspirally wound around the bough and the string 44. When the end of abough has been wrapped another bough'is inserted into position so as toform a roping of the foliage. The speed at which the wire 44 is drawnthrough the hole 32 must be adjusted with respect to the speed ofrotation of the ring 26 to achieve an optimum binding efiect with aminimum use of wire.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A machine for spirally winding a first string about a second string soas to entrap foliage between the two in such a'manner as to form floralroping, comprising: a horizontally disposed table having a slotextending substantially across its width; a vertical support memberdisposed in the said slot with a portion of its surface extending abovesaid slot and a portion of its surface extending below said slot; acentral circular aperture in said vertical support member; a pluralityof bearings rotatably supported on the surface of said support member atregular intervals with respect to one another about the perimeter ofsaid central aperture and having their axes of rotation extendingnormally to the surface of said vertical support member; an annular ringhaving its outer perimeter journaled in said bearings so as to allow forrotation about a horizontal axis; a wire spool rotatably supported onsaid ring; an electric motor disposed below said table with its shaft ina horizontal position; and a circular rubber drive member disposed onthe shaft of said motor with its perimeter in pressured engagement 7with the perimeter of said ring in such a manner as to impart rotationthereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

